SkyNews, one of the UK's leading media outlets, sent part of its team to Ibiza at the beginning of the season to tackle the island's housing problem. Entitled 'Is tourism in Ibiza on the brink of collapse?', the documentary addresses the issues faced by many people, particularly focusing on workers who have been forced to live in shanty towns due to high rents.
In the documentary, the team travels around various parts of Ibiza, beginning in Vila, where they speak to people living in caravans or vans due to high living costs. It is worth mentioning that the documentary begins by talking about what the island is known for and the luxury that surrounds it, but that in the shadows are all these workers.
Mohamed, from Western Sahara, arrived on the island two and a half years ago. Since then, he has been working in construction, but has been forced to live in a shack, since almost all of his salary could be spent on a flat or a rented house, so the most viable option he saw at the time was to settle where he is now.
The documentary also tells part of the story of Victor, who lives with his daughter and wife in a caravan. He works in the hotel industry and is clear about the situation: «for the sake of the child we wanted to live in a flat, but it is not possible». He also points out that many people think that the people living in these camps are dangerous, but he wants to make it known that there are only working people.
It's not just shantytowns
The documentary don’t talk only to people who lives in a caravan, they also tell the stories of people who came to the island years ago, but who are still struggling with the housing problem, as in the case of Jane. Jane came to the island 15 years ago and works as an English teacher in an academy. She is increasingly having to find her own way to sleep in a bed. She says she has even felt «humiliated» and has had to beg people she knows for help in finding a place to sleep. She now shares a flat with a friend, as the owner of the property she was renting told her that he would not renew the lease. Jane also says that she is not the only one, and knows many teachers who are forced to look for another home when the summer comes.
When it comes to crime, Sheila has been coming here every summer since 2015 and has witnessed an increase in it. «Last summer, my car windows were smashed twice and I was robbed,» she says.
Tourism
Jacquelina came to Ibiza in the 1980s and is now campaigning against the overcrowding on the island. Her son, Raphael, who was born and raised on the island, had to move to the mainland in 2023, as he could not provide a good quality of life for his two children. He also talks about the dangerous people who have been arriving on the island and believes that robberies have increased because the mafias are attracted by the influx of wealthy individuals.
Another of the testimonies that Sky News was able to obtain was from Dean, who is a DJ, but is better known for hunting snakes. Having lived on the island for 22 years, he has witnessed its transformation. «The people are very nice, but the problem is housing, which is becoming more and more expensive», he explains. His testimony does not stop there, as he also talks about the fact that, as a result of the overcrowding, water has had to be restricted in many places.
As for the residents, the media team says that they have not wanted to give their testimony on camera, but they have told them about the difficulties they face. «The residents say that they live with their parents, with their grandparents and even some with their young children. All in the same house because they can't afford to pay for housing», they say in the documentary.
Testimonies from associations fighting to protect Ibiza have also been key in explaining the current situation on the island. Elisa Langley, coordinator of the Ibiza Preservation Sustainability Observatory, explains that there have been an increasing number of floods of faecal waste «due to overcrowding» in recent years. In this sense, the data show that since 2010, the water on the beaches has been getting worse and that in 2023 up to 21 beaches were closed for this reason.
The documentary shows the reality of Ibiza today and how the island is increasingly being hit by uncontrolled overcrowding. The piece ends with the following statement by the displaced team: «tolerance is running out. When residents and workers have problems, the island feels pressure and many says: enough is enough».